International Animal Rescue is taking an exciting new tool to Indonesia this week in support of its work protecting orangutans in Borneo. This week we are delivering a pedal-powered cinema to our team in West Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) to help raise awareness among local communities of the plight of the Bornean orangutan. Since the cinema is driven by pedal power alone it will enable us to show films in areas without electricity.
Orangutan Conservation
Alan Knight, Chief Executive of International Animal Rescue, is travelling to Indonesia and taking the cinema field kit with him for use by the IAR team in Ketapang, Western Borneo.
He says: “We’re delighted to have been chosen as one of six charities to benefit from a Pedal Power Cinema Kit, donated by Ape Alliance and The Great Apes Film Initiative (GAFI.) The kits have been developed by Electric Pedals to bring the power of natural history and conservation films to communities where electricity isn’t available.
“As well as rescuing orangutans from the effects of deforestation and the illegal wildlife trade, our work involves raising awareness among local communities of the threats orangutans face and finding ways to reduce human-orangutan conflict. We’re convinced that the PPC will prove an excellent way of conveying our message to local people living in remote rural areas and mobilising them to support our orangutan conservation efforts.”
The equipment includes a projector and a sound system powered by a dynamo attached to a bicycle. Three very successful kits are already touching the lives of thousands in Africa and South East Asia.
The kits have been made available by sponsorship from several companies as part of Hope4Apes 2013, an event designed to get Pedal Powered Cinemas to projects in ape range states across the globe.
Alan will be taking with him a number of powerful short films featuring orangutans currently undergoing rehabilitation at the International Animal Rescue centre in preparation for being reintroduced into the wild.
Temon, at IAR’s Rehabilitation Centre in Ketapang